Machine for forming hollow concrete blocks



. F. A. ROOSA.

MACHINE FOR FORMING HOLLOW CONCRETE BI CKS..

APPLICATION FILED MAR, I8, I920- 1,374L,392. PatentedApr. 12,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- Fz'g. J.

I 1115 69 6 m I L I I -I II, 38 Q9? II 1 A II ,97 4/ I 12' 12 I I J 35 I 17 I w y k J1 14 13 a5 a a2 34 36 3a J8 e 7 26 E w n iy/ @I 5K 3 Inventor, Fran/YA.K00scz, 6g

Attorney.

FLA. ROOSA.

MACHi'NE FOR FORMING HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCKS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1920.

I 1,374,392. Patented Apr. 12,1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Invenar, FrankA.fioosa, 6y

Attorney.

UNITED STATS aren't orrlcs.

FRANK A. ROOSA, 0]? ORANGE TO'WNSHIP, BLACKHAWK COUNTY, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN L. ZEIDLER OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

MACHINE FOR FORIVIING HOLLOW CONCRETE BLOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1921.

Application filed March 18, 1920. Serial No. 366,843.

through a hollow mold to form a hollowed block therein from concrete or other materials; and second, to supply cooperating and coacting means forv intermittently and regularly removing the molds containing the newly-formed blocks from the radius of action of the machine.

I have accomplished the above objects by the mechanism which is hereinafter described and claimed, and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of said machine, with parts broken away or shown in longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of said machine, also having parts broken away, and other parts shown in transverse section.

In said drawings like numerals of reference denote like parts throughout the several views. I

The mechanism of said machine is mounted in a skeleton framework, comprising base-timbers 8, to which are fixedly secured standards 3 and 7 connected by cross-timbers such as and 61, and by longitudinally-arranged timbers, such as 4;, 5 and 6, but the number, positions and arrangements of the elements of the framework may be varied at will to suit particular dispositions of elements of the machinery to be associated therewith.

1 is a rotatable power-shaft mounted in bearing-boxes 2. The numeral 15 denotes a pair of spaced parallel vertically disposed shafts mounted at the front of said framework rotatably, and alsobeing reciprocable in the direction of their length, having splines 16 which permit the shafts to slide longitudinally through sleeves 66 secured rotatably in bearing-boxes 67 on cross-tlm- The lower parts of said shafts are rotatably mounted in bearingopenings 62 of the boxes 17 mounted on a cross-timber 61. On the lower ends of said shafts 15 are removably mounted troweling former-heads 19, of like form,

having a cylindrical lower zone and a conical upper .zone, the latter containing superficial hollows, which conformation insures proper rotary troweling of the plastic materials within the hollow rectangular mold 20 mounted in spaced relation about said shafts and former-heads on bottom-pallets 58, within raised rims 68 of the latter. The troweling. former-heads are also movable through circular openings 57 in said pallets, as will be explained hereinafter.

The vertical shafts 15 have pintle-pins 14-.

received in longitudinal slots 18 slidably of the terminal forks 12 of arms 11', the rear ends of the latter beingfixedly mounted on a cross-shaft 9, the latter mounted to rock in boxes 10 on the rear standards A drivingrpulley 32 is fixed on the rear part of the power-shaft 1, and adrivingbelt 28 is carried about said pulley and thence about an idler 29 whose shaft is mounted in boxes. 30 on horizontal timbers 5 and 6, and thence about a driven-pulley or belt-wheel 27, the latter being mounted on the splined shaft 15 to rotate the latter while permitting a vertical reciprocation of the shaft. On the shaft 69 which carries the idler 31 which also carries said belt 28, is a like idler, and the latter, is also another idler 29 and driven belt-wheel 27 carries another belt whereby the other vertical shaft 15 is rotated simultaneously and while under reciprocation.

The arms 11 are swung up and down vertically to impart simultaneous reciprocations to said shafts 15 by the following means; A worm 87 on the power-shaft l meshes with and drives a worm-wheel 35 on a cross-shaft 36, the latter rotatably mounted in bearing-boxes on said framework. A cam-wheel 34' is fixedly mounted on the shaft 36 to movably contact its circumferential edge with a cam-roller 33 above it rotatably mountedon one of the arms 11. The rotating shaft 1 thus causes the cam-wheel to rock the arms 11. The form of the cam-wheel is such as to impart to the former-heads 19 an approximately single speed of reciprocatory movement through the mold 20, while causing said heads to rotate without reciprocation a short time at each of the upper and lower limits of reciprocation.

The numeral 21 denotes a vertically mov-v able hopper whose lower part conforms to and fits about the upper end of the mold, 20. The numeral 26 denotes a depending rod or arm pivotally suspended from the middle of a cross-rod 65, the latter fixed between the two arms 11. The arm 26 traverses an orifice in a bracket 22 fixed onthe hopper 21 andhas ahead 24- on its lower end. A stop 25 is fixed on said armabove and spaced;

from. said bracket, and a coiledcompression spring is mounted on the arm' between the;

stop and the bracket. When the arms 11 swing upwardlythe head; 24 lifts the bracket and the hopper a short time after theswinging movement begins; When the arms 11 swing downwardly, the arm 26, acting upon the yielding spring, seats the hopper withoutshock upon the mold 20 newly advanced beneath it.-

Ihave provided means for regularlyat determined intervals shifting a, mold containing a-newly formed block from under.

vertical plates 55 may be fixed on brackets- 54between the upper and lower parts ofv each chain, each plate having a horizontal marginal flange or ledge. .56 immediately below the upper, and above the lower strand of each chain, and upon which the chains run. V u I The pallets 58 are pivotally mounted on lmks of opposite strands of the chain in succession.

The chains50 are driven forwardly by.

steps regularly by the following means. A counter-shaft 44 is mounted rotatably 'in bearing-b0xes such as shown in 64 and carries a ratchet-wheel 48. On an arm 41pivotally mounted on. said shaft adjacentthe wheel 43 is pivotally mounted" a drivingpawl 42 for engaging teeth on the ratchet,- being normally held slidingly against it by gravity. An arm 38 is pivoted to one of the arms 11, has a'lower terminal head 39 and slides through an eye 40 which is pivotally mountedon the outer end of the arm On; the outer end of said shaft 44 is fixed a sprocketpinion 45, and a sprocket; chain 46 connects said pinion with a sprocket- ,wheel '47 on the outer'end of the prolonged shaft 48. It will be seen that when the arms 11 swing downwardly the arm 38 .hard due to the troweling action.

slides through the eye 40 and the ratchetwheel 48 is still, the arm 41 being supported.

by a bracket bar 63, the pawl 42 remaining in engagement with teeth of the ratchet. 0n the upward swing of the arms 11, during the first part of the swinging movement the arm 38 slides. upwardly through the eye 40 without moving the arm 41', but

when the head .39 engages thearm 41 it then lifts said arm, causing the pawl to partially rotate the ratchet-wheel forwardly, and by means of the above-described-intermediate mechanism the endless carrieris advanced to shift a. filled mold 20 fromunder the lifted former-heads 19, the hop per 2lhaving just been elevated, slmulta neously shifting another mold on the succeeding pallet'under theformer-heads. Empty molds are constantly replaced. on

the advancing pallets, while the molds containing the newly formed blocks are as constantly manually removed.

'One or more former-heads may be used},

and the formenheads'may be on the same Q level, or mayhave' one-or more positioned at'different levels,1as shown, to diminish torsional pull on the material being troweled. The former-heads thus form the block with a compacthomogeneous structure, supplying the desired number of hollows there in, whose inner surfaces are smooth and V'ariae tions in these mechanismsare covered by the rinc'iples of my invention.

} aving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: l T 7 V v I f 1. In a machine of the character described,

an open mold, and a plurality of rotatable spaced troweling. V bodies movable; therethrough, the said bodies being positioned in differentrelative planes of rotation.

2; In a machine ofthecharacter described,

an open mold, a plurality of rotatableftrow-* eling bodies movable back and forth through the mold, spacedapart and from saidmold,

and coacting mechanisms for rotating said bodies while reciprocating them through the mold, and also adaptedtohalt translatory V movements thereof at the opposite-limits of their reciprocations. while rotating. r

. 3; In a machine of the character described, 1

a translatory' carrier, a; plurality of pallets .mount'ed thereon, an open top and (bottom removably supported on one of said pallets. aplurality of troweling rotatableforpnerheads mountedto traverse the mold,sai d pallets each having openings adapted to re-: ceive said former-heads therethrough, and.

coacting v mechanisms for simultaneously? rotating and reciprocating said former-heads,

and for shifting said carrier a determined distance intermittent of the. return :movement of the former-head to clear the mold.

4. In a machine of the character described, mechanism to impart a step-by-step movean endless carrier, a plurality of orificed ment to said endless carrier, acting to pro- 10 pallets mounted thereon, an open top and duce each movement at the end of the return bottom mold positioned on a pallet, a plumovement of the former-heads through said 5 rality of rotatable reciprocatory troweling mold.

former-heads movable back and forth Si ned at Waterloo, Iowa, this 1st day through said mold and the orifices in the of Lfarch, 1920. pallet on which the mold is supported, and r FRANK A. ROOSA. 

